Forgiveness
by FoldingChairsAndFlowers
Summary: Edmund is having trouble getting over his mistakes. Not very original plot, but better inside :   One-shot


**Disclaimer: I do not own Narnia, the Chronicles of Narnia, High king Peter, King Edmund, a unicorn ( ) nor a horse, nor mr. Tumnus or the beavers or the lion with glasses and a mustache. **

"Goodmorning, your Majesty! Here for a ride?" Came the voice of High King Peter's unicorn from across the stables.  
>"Yes, Rohnan, but not too loud. Let's not wake the stable boy." He said.<p>

Rohnan, having the good sense that horses and their kind have for their riders, noticed that something was off.

"Pardon me for asking, Sire, but is something the matter?"

The young king sighed.  
>"Yes, but you needn't worry for me, it'll be fine, I'm sure."<br>"Sire, as horses, we may not know all of humans and their ways, but we can offer a fresh look on your situation, whatever it may be." Philip, Edmund's horse, said. Peter thought it through and finally told the horses (and occasional unicorn) what was bothering him.  
>"It's Edmund; he's still feeling guilty about betraying us to the White Witch."<p>

He loved the way he could speak freely and without all the formalities while being with the horses.

"But I know he didn't really just do it for that stupid Turkish Delight – which was, no doubt, enchanted- but also because we (being Susan and I) probably made him feel like he wasn't actually worth much. The Witch made him feel important. He says he's undeserving of our forgiveness and won't talk anymore on the subject. He's always moping once the first snow touches the ground. What should I do?" He asked hopelessly.

"Do not despair, my king, for it is not something you can do; he must forgive himself before being able to accept your forgiveness. Perhaps you could just... give him the little nudge he needs in order to do so." Rohnan answered.

* * *

><p>"Let's go to Mr. Tumnus!" Peter said to his gloomy looking brother.<br>"I'm not sure he'd like that, though..." Was the response. Peter sighed –as he did a lot these days- and said:  
>"At least come with me for a ride, please, Edmund?"<br>"Fine, but we need to get some ice-shoes for Philip and Rohnan first. Can't have them slipping over frozen streams and snow." He shivered as he remembered the White Whitch's sled sliding easily over the snow.

Once their steeds had been sufficiently armed against slippery roads, they set out to ride. Galloping over the fields of Narnia –even covered in a dense, white blanket- always seemed to cheer Ed up. Peter looked at his little brother, who was smiling, enjoying the speed at which Philip was running. All too soon they had to slow down, for they had reached the denser forest-edge.  
>"Why don't we take a break and let Philip and Rohnan have a little peace?"<br>Edmund shrugged. "Sure." He said.

"Ed..." Peter began, but he did not quite know how to continue. He tried again.  
>"Ed, do you know why I wanted to go to mr. Tumnus'?"<br>"Err, not really, no..."  
>"I thought it would perhaps do you good to... apologize to him..." Edmund did not reply to this, so Peter went on.<p>

"I know you've been sulking everytime winter makes it's way to these lands. You still feel guitly, don't you? About turning us in?"  
>Edmund threw his hands in the air, suddenly agitated, and said:<br>"Of course I do! You all act as though it was just a small mistake, "Oh well, errare humanum est*!"" His imitation of Peter's voice was spot on, which is, although irrelevant to the rest of this story, quite interesting to know.  
>"But it was not! I've been horrendous, I was a brat, a tiresome and insufferably irritating kid! How can you not hate me?"<p>

"Well," Peter said, way more calm than Edmund was, "at the moment, I certainly do not hate you, neither did I ever hate you, though when we had just arrived in Narnia –and a little while before that- I did strongly dislike you. Oh, and, you are still a kid, just not so tiresome and insufferably irritating anymore." And he winked. "Edmund, be at peace with yourself, please. For the sake of your siblings, heck, even for the sake of Narnia herself, stop blaming yourself!"  
>He walked over to Edmund and laid a hand on his shoulder. "You deserve to forgive yourself." He said softly.<p>

"I can't, Peter. I cannot forget what I did to all those people; mister Tumnus, the Fox, that poor lion on whom I drew glasses and a mustache and the b-" Peter laughed.  
>"Really, that thing with the lion was actually quite funny!" But Edmund ignored him and went on babbling about everything he thought he'd done wrong.<p>

"I don't understand how you did not scream and yell at me and scold me after you first saw me agian at Aslan's camp. By Jove, he sacrificed his own life to save my pathetic one! That should never have happened, I should never have betrayed you like that, perhaps I should've just never been born!"

But right after he'd said that, a terrifying roar could be heard, drowning Peters answer to Edmunds rant.

A great lion walked over to where Peter and Edmund stood. They bowed their heads in acknowledgement and Peter looked up after a while, but his brother did not.

"I did not name you King Edmund the Just to have you do injustice upon yourself." Asland said, in a deep, calm voice. Still, Edmund's head stayed down.

"Forgive yourself, Edmund Pevense." And Aslan breathed on him, after which he swiftly walked away.

* * *

><p>Peter hugged his stunned brother.<br>"Are you all right?" He asked. He felt Edmund nod in his neck. "Lucy, Susan and I have long ago forgiven you. Are you finally able to accept that forgiveness?" And he felt Edmund sigh in defeat, which turned into a soft chuckle.  
>"Yes, Peter, thank you..."<p>

"I didn't do anything! Thank Aslan for it."

"No, you... you did help in the process. You are a good brother and a good king."

Peter looked his brother in the eye (he didn't even have to look that much down anymore) and said:  
>"I'm proud of you, Edmund."<br>"I'm... proud of you too."

And Edmund was finally able to enjoy the beautiful winters of Narnia, and Father Christmas visited them each year at Cair Paravel and all was well for many years. But when then went back to England and back again to Narnia, it was Peter's turn to make some mistakes for which Edmund gave him comfort. But that is a wholly different story which needs to be told another time.

* * *

><p><strong>* 'Errare humanum est' is Latin for: making mistakes is human<strong>

Thank you for reading and I hope you liked it! Should you see something you think could be improved, please do say so; I've got so much to learn, still!


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